


What Might Have Been

by CastorLycan



Series: Brothers [3]
Category: Brothers - Karen Anker
Genre: 1970s, Adoption, Brothers, Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Orphans, Past Child Abuse, Protective Older Brothers, Spanking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:47:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25081105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastorLycan/pseuds/CastorLycan
Summary: An AU of Brothers, starting with the Loftons' camping trip in 1977 when John and his family meet two boys catching tadpoles at the lake...The Loftons: Russell and SusannaJeff 6James 8Brian (aka Cutter) 9Eddie 12John 16The Wades:Ramsey 6Brad 10Carl 17
Series: Brothers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/577234
Comments: 66
Kudos: 31





	1. The Camping Trip

**Tie Hack Campground, Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming, June, 1977**

"Jeff? Do you want to help me fix lunch or help Daddy and your brothers put up the tents?" Susanna Lofton’s youngest son Jeff was racing around the campground burning off pent-up energy from being stuck in the station wagon all morning. 

The Lofton family, Russell and Susanna and their five sons, had left their home in Jackson, South Dakota early that morning. After driving half the day the family had arrived at their campground in Wyoming. Her husband and the older boys were tackling the two tents while she was starting on lunch for her hungry crew. Six year-old Jeff stopped his bouncing long enough to look at the loaf of bread and sandwich-makings on the picnic table, then over to where the guys were.

"Tent," he announced firmly. The little boy snagged two Oreos from the open package on the table before scampering over to the tent staging area.

The Loftons had two tents. A great big gray canvas one that in actuality could fit all seven of them, and a smaller tent for John and Eddie which had been purchased two years before to give the older boys their own space. John, Eddie, and Cutter were putting the smaller one up while their father enlisted the younger boys to assist him.

"Here, hold this end up, Eddie," John directed. "Brian, hand me the pole."

"I can do it myself," Cutter replied, stepping forward with one of the white tent poles. While his oldest brother watched patiently, the nine year-old carefully threaded it through the loops, then started on the next. "I bet this tent would fit three people," he commented, trying not to appear like he was wanting to join the older boys in their tent.

"I bet it would," John agreed, exchanging grins with Eddie. "Eddie, think Jeff would want to share with us?"

"Can I?" Jeff asked, jumping up and down at the idea.

"Or Jeff and James both," Eddie said. "I bet there's room!"

"Don't tease your brothers," their father said. "Jeff, James, you're in the big tent with Mommy and me."

"Come on, guys! I'll be quiet. Can I stay in your tent?" Cutter pleaded, dropping the pretense of trying to play it cool.

"It's up to Dad," John said, shrugging. "Ask him."

"Can I, Dad? Please, Daddy?" Cutter asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"If your brothers say it's okay," Russell replied with a smile and a wink at John and Eddie.

"Daaaad!" Cutter protested at having the matter tossed back to his brothers.

John decided to put his brother out of his misery. "You can stay with us."

"Alright!"

"We'll put you by the flap to protect us from bears."

"Yeah, scare them off before they reach _us_ , okay?" Eddie asked.

"Bears?!" Jeff asked, coming to a stop, looking towards the nearby woods in alarm.

"John! Eddie!" Russell exclaimed.

"Just little bears," John said, laughing.

"Yeah, just cubs!" Eddie added.

Even though he knew they were joking, Cutter wanted to show he was game. Nodding, he said, "I'll keep the axe under my sleeping bag!"

"No, you won't," Russell firmly replied.

"Awww."

"Let's hurry and finish, boys," their father said. "I'm famished!"

After lunch Russell and the boys went down to the nearby lake while Susanna finished settling the camp. Russell and John set up the fishing rods and let the boys have at it. James walked out to the end of a tree that had fallen into the lake so that he could cast into the deeper water. The only problem with that plan turned out to be all the submerged tree limbs that caught his line with every cast.

"John!" James called every time his line snagged, and his oldest brother dutifully set down his own rod, made his way out the tree, cut the line, tied on a new lure, and got out of the way again before James cast.

After the third time, however, John said, "Just cut the line and come back to the bank."

"I wanna fish out here!" James stomped his foot, causing the log to jiggle slightly. He waved his arms, quickly regaining his balance, and peered back at John as if he had meant to do that.

"You're just wasting lures. Come on in."

James pouted. "I don't have a knife. I can’t cut it." He tugged on the rod to show that it was still snagged.

John sighed. Little brothers could be quite the pain! "Hang on." He freed the line again but didn't tie on a new lure until he had pulled his little brother back to the bank.

Jeff quickly got bored standing around waiting for a fish to bite, and dropped his rod to go play, leaving the line still in the water.

“Jeff!” John called after him. “Don’t just leave it there like that! Reel it in first.”

“Yeah!” Cutter agreed from his spot next to his oldest brother. “A big ‘ol fish might take the bait and he’d drag the fishing pole away!”

The youngest Lofton barely spared a glance back at his abandoned pole. “I don’t care!” he said carelessly.

“Jeffrey!” Russell said, stopping the boy in his tracks.

Jeff turned back and innocently asked, “Yes, Daddy?”

“Reel your line in and put your fishing pole in a safe place.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

The little boy glared at a smirking Cutter but obeyed. He started reeling the line in, but it had gained a lot of slack in the brief moments of being untended and quickly tangled, getting stuck on the reel. He whined loudly, shaking the pole in frustration as he tried to free it.

Rolling his eyes, John handed his own pole to Cutter and held his hand out. “Give it here, Jeff.”

Jeff grinned and thrust the pole at his brother, then scampered off.

“We should just tie a plastic fish to the end of the pole,” Cutter muttered.

Russell and John laughed. “That’s what we did for you when you were a toddler,” his father said.

Cutter grinned. “I remember! And the line wasn’t on the reel so I could just spin it all I liked.”

“Jeff’s too old to be fooled by that,” Russell commented.

Cutter shrugged. “Doubt it matters. He don’t like fishing anyway!”

“Doesn’t,” John idly corrected.

“Don’t matter!” came the cheeky reply.

While John was untangling the reel, Jeff took off his shoes and waded into the water looking for tadpoles. Soon he was splashing around.

"Stop it! You're going to scare the fish away!" James protested.

Jeff stopped. From the expressions on his dad's and older brothers' faces, he figured James must be right. "But I want to catch tadpoles!"

"Go down the bank a little," Eddie suggested.

Jeff pouted. He wanted to be near everyone, plus he knew he wasn't allowed in the water by himself.

"I'll go with you," Cutter offered, surprising everyone. He quickly reeled in his line and set his pole against a tree. He took his little brother by the hand and they went down the bank a little ways. The two boys stopped at an area with reeds. "Here, this will be perfect for finding tadpoles."

Jeff let go his hand and splashed into the water, scaring any and all wildlife away. "You have to creep up on them if you want to catch any," Cutter advised.

"I don't care, I just want to splash around!"

"But look, there's lots of tadpoles over there!" Cutter pointed about eight feet away, and at the sight of so many so close, Jeff went still. The two boys crouched in the water stalking the tiny creatures.

..»º*º«..

Mid-afternoon Susanna left the camp and walked down to the lake to join her family. The men of the house had already caught a nice string of fish. She oohed and aahed over them and said she wanted to join in the next day. She and Russell had a long-standing agreement. She would cook any and all fish brought home to her... as long as they were cleaned and ready to fry. She would also happily catch fish (she found it as fun as the rest of her family)… but no way was she cleaning them. Russell enjoyed providing for his family, and catching fish was a more immediate way of doing that than bringing home a paycheck, so he absolutely didn't mind cleaning all the fish. Well, teaching the boys how to clean them while he supervised.

"Want to walk around the lake a bit?" her husband asked, reeling in his line.

"Sure!" The two walked off hand in hand.

John watched them go. He liked that his parents were still so much in love; he hoped to have that himself someday. Knowing he was in charge at the moment, he reeled in his own line so that he was ready in case he had to dive in to rescue one of his brothers.

About half an hour later John asked, "Think we have enough fish, guys?" Eddie nodded, and even James said he was ready to stop a while. "James, you gather up all the equipment, and Eddie and I will start cleaning the fish."

They all set to work, and before long the fish were cleaned and there was a nice pile of fishing rods next to the tackle box and the almost empty package of Oreos. "Can you guys start carrying stuff back to our campsite? I'm gonna get Brian and Jeff."

John had kept an eye on the two boys from a distance, and he knew they were still down the bank a little ways near the reeds. While Eddie and James loaded up to make the first trip back to the campsite, John headed to the reeds. The sun was still high in the sky but passing clouds made the sunshine hit or miss. As he approached his brothers, he saw four boys instead of two. The four were crouched by the side of the water, knees in the mud, attention fixed on something in the water. Suddenly the cloud passed and the boys were hit with the full sunshine. Three dark heads and one golden blonde one, hair all shining from the bright sun. The boys all turned to face John, eyes excited at their find.

Hands cupped to hold a treasure, water dripping from his fingers, Jeff asked, "Can we keep them?"

John went close to inspect what his brother held. Two tadpoles swimming in the tiny little bit of water in Jeff's hands. "I think they'll be happier in the lake," he cautioned.

"They'll be happy with me!" Jeff promised. "I'll make them a nice home."

"Sorry, Jeff," John said, running his hand through his youngest brother's hair. "They may not survive if you keep them out of the lake. Don't you want them to grow up into nice frogs?"

Jeff pouted, but dutifully let the tadpoles return to the water.

John looked at the other boys. "Hi, guys," he said.

"Hi," the older one bashfully said back, eyes wide at the attention. He seemed a little older than Brian, while the little blonde one looked about Jeff's age. Both were skinny and dirty with mud-stained clothes. The dirty clothes were to be expected out camping John supposed. Just look at Jeff and Brian after an afternoon of wading and playing in the mud.

"We're going back to the campsite now," John informed his brothers.

"I want to play with my friends!" Jeff said.

John didn't know if Jeff meant the tadpoles or the other boys, but decided to go with the other boys. "You guys camping here too?"

They both nodded, and the little one's eyes darted over to a campsite not too far away. It was on the edge of the campground, and John saw a tarp extending from an open car door to the ground creating a makeshift shelter.

"You want to come over to our campsite awhile and play with my brothers?"

The blonde little boy looked at his older brother, who looked wistful but finally shook his head. "No, we should get back. We have lessons soon."

"Lessons?" Cutter asked. "What kind of lessons? It's summer!"

"We have them all the time," the dark haired boy replied. He held out his hand to his little brother, who took it. "Bye!"

The little one looked over his shoulder and gave a small wave as he was pulled away.

"Come over later if you can!" Cutter called after them.

..»º*º«..

That evening after dinner the Loftons were sitting around the campfire singing songs and roasting marshmallows. Jeff was sitting on John's lap, half-ready to fall asleep. They heard a slight rustling in the bushes and looked up to see the same two boys from the lake.

"Hey, there are your friends," John said, jostling Jeff to rouse him.

"Hi!" Cutter called with a friendly wave. "Come roast marshmallows!"

"Come on in, boys," Susanna said warmly, holding an arm out to welcome the two kids. Her sons had told her about their new friends. The two boys warily approached the campfire, sitting closely side by side on one of the log seats. "Would you like to roast marshmallows with us?"

The little one gave the smallest of nods, while the older one solemnly said, "Yessum."

Eddie grabbed two sticks with whittled ends and handed one to each boy. Cutter held out the bag of marshmallows, and they each took one. The blonde boy held his to his mouth, giving it a tiny lick, while his brother looked around curiously to see what the others were doing with their marshmallows, wanting to do it right.

"Just stick it on the end," Cutter explained. "And then keep turning it so it doesn't burn or fall off."

The older boy fixed his little brother’s marshmallow on a stick first and then his own. The blonde boy waited for his brother to put his marshmallow above the flames before adding his own.

Once that was settled, Russell introduced himself and each member of his family. He waited at the end for the boys to give their own names, but they just sat there, watching and smiling. With a glance at her husband, Susanna asked, “And what are your names?”

The little boys exchanged looks before the older one hesitantly said, “I’m Brad, and this is Ramsey.”

Susanna and Russell could tell the boys were uneasy and set out to put them at their ease. Russell started telling stories about when he got in trouble as a little boy and soon all the Lofton kids were laughing. The two new additions to the camp circle were quiet still, just taking everything in, but after a short time they relaxed. They roasted their marshmallows to a crispy golden brown and took forever eating them, savoring every bit. Susanna quietly took note of their unkempt appearance. Even in the darkness she saw the dried mud on their clothes and noticed how ill-fitting and ragged they were. Well, they _were_ camping clothes. Her own sons were wearing a motley mixture of hand-me-down play clothes that didn't matter if they got ruined. It was more the general sense of being unwashed and uncared for that made her take notice. The older of the two boys didn't say much and just gave short answers to questions while the smaller blonde one had yet to say a single word. Susanna learned that they were camping with their older brother, and their parents were... not camping with them. The older one was a bit vague about their parents which made Susanna a little uneasy. She sensed they were hiding something, but didn't want to make them any more uncomfortable than they already were.

As the night wore down the younger boys all started getting sleepy. "We should go home," Brad said. He pulled on his younger brother's arm. "Thank you," he said, and the little one echoed his words, speaking for the first time, in such a soft voice he was barely heard.

"John, why don't you walk them back?" his mother asked.

John was a little surprised at the request – the two kids didn't have very far to walk – but he stood up and got a flashlight to light the way back for the boys. They kept to the campground's one lane dirt road and were at the other campsite in no time. There was a teenager about John's own age reading by the light of a battery-operated lantern. He looked up when the party drew close.

"Hi," John said. "Found these two tadpoles down by the lake. Want to keep them?" he joked.

The older boy grinned. "Yeah, I'll keep them. I thought they were just out for a walk. Did they bother you?"

"No, not at all. They just came to our campfire awhile." John looked around. His parents had set up camp at their own site. A camp stove near the picnic table, an Igloo with water, a clothesline set up, already put to work drying the clothes Jeff and Cutter had worn to the lake. Their camp site looked lived in. Just a quick glance at this other site revealed none of that. There was an old Mustang with a tarp over part of it so it could be slept in with the door open. The campfire was dark and there wasn't any food set out or in sight at all. Maybe it was in the car's trunk to keep it safe from the wildlife John mused. "You should come back with them tomorrow," he offered. "We'll probably roast marshmallows every night."

"Thanks," the teen said. The youngest boy came to stand in front of his brother, who took him in his arms protectively. "We might do that." Running his hands over the little boy's arms to warm him up, he asked, "You boys ready for bed?"

John returned to his family's campsite and found his brothers were already snuggled into their sleeping bags in the two tents. He briefly described the other campsite to his parents, then went off to bed himself, where he read by flashlight until he fell asleep.

"Don't often see kids camping without their parents," Susanna said when she and her husband were alone by the dying campfire. "Not that young, anyway."

"No," Russell agreed. "Let's go check on them in the morning."

"They can join us for breakfast," Susanna said, smiling at the thought. She loved her large family, and truth be told had wanted even more children. Mealtimes were always a favorite time of day for her, all of her men gathered together enjoying the food and each other's company. She loved her sons while they were still little, but was also looking forward to when they grew up and came home to gather around the table with their own families.

The two adults snuggled by the fire talking in low voices until late, then Russell put out the campfire, and they went to bed.

..»º*º«..

In the morning Susanna and Russell walked over to the other boys' campsite. John had given them a description so they weren’t surprised when they approached the sparse camp. Even at the early hour the inhabitants were up and moving about. Ramsey was sitting at the picnic table shivering, even wrapped in a blanket. Brad was taking slices of bread out of a plastic bag while the teen who must be their older brother was gathering up the tarp.

“Do we have butter?” Ramsey asked, watching Brad intensely.

“No,” was the short reply.

“Honey?”

“Course not.” Brad gave the smaller boy a slice of bread. “Here. We’ll save the rest for lunch.”

“Thank you,” Ramsey replied, taking his breakfast with a grateful smile.

Susanna squeezed her husband’s hand at the sight of the still-unkempt boys breakfasting on a single slice of untoasted bread. Camping breakfasts in her family were hearty meals, designed to provide energy for the coming day’s activities. Crispy bacon, pancakes swimming in syrup, coffee for the adults, orange juice for the boys, everyone eating until they had reached their fill. She tried and failed to imagine her boys being content with a single slice of bread. The three brothers still hadn’t taken notice of the adults, so as they came along the edge of the turnout for the campsite, Russell let out a cheery, “Hello, the camp!”

Ramsey swiveled on the bench to see who was talking, and Brad froze in place before looking to the teen. The teenager, who had just placed the tarp in the car’s trunk, looked over in slight confusion before walking closer. It wasn’t lost on either adult that he had placed himself between them and the boys.

“Hi,” he said, lifting a hand to block the morning sun which was behind the Loftons. “Something I can help you with?”

“I’m Russell and this is my wife, Susanna. We met your brothers last night.”

“Hope they didn’t trouble you.”

“Not at all.”

“Would you all like to join us for breakfast?” Susanna asked, giving the boys an encouraging smile.

“No, thanks,” the teen stated. Behind him came a squeak of protest. The teen glanced back at a hopeful Ramsey and a seemingly indifferent Brad. With a slight smile he returned his gaze to the adults. “Well, okay. Thank you.”

Ramsey shoveled the rest of his bread into his mouth and hopped to his feet, shyly coming to stand behind the teen. The oldest boy reached behind him to place a hand behind the little one’s head, drawing him forwards. Brad walked towards the group at a more leisurely pace, only his eyes betraying his anticipation of a good breakfast. The teen reached out for him too, putting an arm around his shoulders. “So, I guess you know Brad and Ramsey. I’m Carl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is an alternate universe of Brothers! You'll have recognized most of the story from the camping interlude, but instead of the Lofton parents finding an empty campsite the next morning, they find the Wades getting ready to break camp. In this version, the boys are rescued before most of the horrible events that followed in the canon story line. 
> 
> This AU will find the three Wades joining the Lofton family much younger. What would life be like for Carl if he hadn't had to shoulder the responsibility for his brothers all by himself at such a young age? What would he have gone on to do? How would Brad turn out if he was raised with love and got to go to school? Would Ramsey still excel at the violin or would his interests widen? 
> 
> The Lofton parents will likely still die in this AU, but not right away. How will a pre-college or in-college John manage with his brothers? What will he think of no longer being the oldest? The grandparents will still be around, btw :)
> 
> Overall this will be a mostly fluffy story with the boys having lots of adventures, and all the kids learning how to get along. Expect some protectiveness from Carl before he learns to trust. 
> 
> This idea was suggested by Chrissysmiles after she read a comment by Dean's Girl wishing the boys could be/stay little. I think it has lots of possibilities and will be fun to write :)


	2. Getting Acquainted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wades and Loftons get acquainted while camping, and Carl's plans to leave always seem to get thwarted. The little boys play while the middle boys find themselves in some trouble...

## Monday - Getting Acquainted

Carl shepherded his brothers towards the other campsite, following slightly behind Russ and Sue. Carl held Ramsey’s hand, unintentionally mimicking the Lofton parents who also held hands. Ramsey skipped along, causing the adults to look back and smile. Brad trailed the entire group, stopping once to pick up a small smooth stone that he examined carefully before sticking in his pocket.

“Catch up,” Carl quietly ordered, pausing to look backwards, and the middle brother obediently ran to rejoin the group.

The Lofton boys were all up, though ‘awake’ might be a stretch when it came to almost-teenager Eddie who emerged from his tent yawning.

“Ramsey!” Jeff exclaimed, running to greet his new friend. Ramsey ducked behind Carl, shy with so many people (especially adults!) around. Jeff was no stranger to this tactic himself and bravely reached out for Ramsey’s free hand. “Come on!” The little blonde boy allowed himself to be tugged over to the picnic table where the beginnings of breakfast preparation were already underway.

Not to be outdone by his youngest brother, Cutter called out to the boy closest to his own age, “Hi, Brad!”

Brad smiled, embarrassed but happy at being singled out for the greeting. After a permission-seeking glance at Carl, he trotted over to Cutter and James.

Sue smiled at the boys making themselves at home and started the pancake batter. Russ took note of how Carl’s eyes tracked his younger brothers’ whereabouts, and once again was hit by the idea that there was something more going on than just three boys out for a camping trip. The teen held himself warily, as if at any moment he might snatch his brothers and take off.

“Coffee?” Russ offered.

Startled, Carl glanced at the older man, his dark eyes leaving his youngest brother for a moment. “Oh, sure. Yes, please.”

Russ crossed to the four-burner cookstove where the coffeepot was percolating and poured coffee into a blue enamel camping mug for his guest. Carl accepted it with a quiet thanks, and sat on the picnic table bench.

“You boys staying long?” Russ asked the teen sitting at his table.

“Wasn’t planning to.” With a ghost of a smile, Carl added, “Was planning to leave this morning, actually.”

“Oh?” Russ tried to act surprised, though he had already surmised that the other campsite was all packed and ready to be vacated. “Just a short trip, then. Been here long?”

Carl turned his full attention to the older man sitting across from him, leveling a suspicious look on him that was just short of a glare. “Why’re you asking?”

John had wandered closer and stood at the end of the table. Russ noticed his son’s eyes widen slightly at this rude question from the other teen, and allowed a calming smile to cross his features. Chuckling, he said, “Just curious. Don’t often find kids camping on their own.”

“Scott and Ryan and I go all the time,” John interjected, finding himself compelled to stick up for this other boy. The vague feeling of unease over the possibility of future parent-less camping trips might have also guided his statement.

“Yes, but you’re all teenagers. When was the last time you took Jeff and Cutter camping, just the three of you?”

“I wouldn’t take them,” John scoffed, walking right into the trap. “Maybe Eddie, if he wasn’t being a nuisance.”

Russ’s smile broadened, and he winked at Carl, who had settled down enough to smirk at John. “Exactly. It isn’t every boy who would take his little brothers out in the wilds.” The man turned to his guest, giving a nod. “More power to you, Carl.” John frowned, but Carl nodded back, a little more at ease now.

Meanwhile, Sue called for the rest of the children to gather for breakfast, and soon the table was swarmed with boys

Letting his guard down a bit, Carl admitted, “We’ve been here a week. Time to hit the road.”

“I bet your parents are eager to have you boys home again,” Sue said with a warm smile, placing two platters on the table, one stacked high with pancakes, and the other with bacon. Her sons immediately dug in. “Let our guests have some first!” she admonished, laughing to hide her embarrassment. Sure, they were camping, but her boys had better manners than that!

The three young guests had held back, watching in awe as the other boys did their best to obliterate the food. Sue caught Brad’s worried look and assured him that more pancakes were on the way.

“And bacon?” Brad asked as James snatched the last bacon from the tray. The 10 year-old was practically near tears. He didn’t remember the last time he had gotten to eat bacon. Years. The possibility was so close, only to be snatched away.

“Quiet,” Carl admonished, nudging his younger brother harder than necessary. “It’s rude to ask.”

Brad gulped and seemed to withdraw into himself, lowering his head and placing his hands on the soiled knees of his jeans.

“There’s plenty for everyone,” Sue said, wishing she had a few more burners on her camp stove to hurry the process. Or better-behaved children, that would be good too. She frowned at the thought.

John noticed Brad’s sadness and offered his plate to the child. “Here, you can start. I’ll wait for the next round.”

Brad looked up at John in wonder, hero-worship already starting. “Can I?” he whispered to his own older brother, and when he received a curt nod in reply, he dug in.

Ramsey looked at his own empty melamine plate, patiently waiting for Carl to fill it. There was only so much room on the benches, so he had elected to sit on Carl’s lap. Carl reached over to Brad’s plate, stabbing a pancake and placing it on Ramsey’s plate. The little boy didn’t wait for the butter or syrup, which were currently being passed from grubby Lofton hand to grubby Lofton hand. Ramsey folded the pancake in half and stuffed one corner in his mouth, closing his eyes blissfully and leaning his head back against his brother’s chest. Brad tentatively took two of the three pieces of bacon from his plate and slipped them to Ramsey’s, knowing that Carl was likely to do it himself. By doing it first, he might make his older brother pleased with him. Maybe? It was worth a try. Carl didn’t respond in words, but he gave the younger boy a nod of approval and picked up one, taking a bite before feeding the rest to Ramsey.

Russ and Sue watched the boys’ interactions with interest, exchanging glances with each other several times. When the next batch of pancakes were ready, Sue took the precaution of serving the three guests before setting the remainder on the table. Same with the bacon when it was crispy and ready for devouring.

Carl made sure his little brothers had full plates before serving himself. Sue was struck by his mannerisms, which seemed old-fashioned and over-polite. Her own boys could take some lessons from him, she thought. Looking around at her large brood of happy, jostling boys, however, she was content. She didn’t know what had happened to make the dark-haired teenager so guarded, but she hoped someday he would become as open and carefree as her own sons. While keeping his manners, she decided, stopping a squabble between James and Brian before it got out of hand.

Russ kept his questions to himself throughout breakfast, figuring it wasn’t a conducive atmosphere for deep discussions. His questions multiplied as he surreptitiously watched the three young guests. He noticed how the younger boys looked to Carl before taking any action, even something so small as reaching for another pancake. The smallest boy sat happily enfolded in his brother’s arms throughout the meal, swinging his legs on either side of Carl’s with such abandon that he occasionally connected with Brad’s leg. Brad winced when it happened and scooted slightly further away, but he didn’t object. Ramsey appeared oblivious. Russ was pretty sure Carl noticed – nothing seemed to escape the teen, but he did nothing to stop the swinging legs. Russ caught his eye and for a second a guilty expression came over the teen.

The meal broke apart as each of the boys finished and went to play. Russ had planned to direct his middle sons to help with the dishes, but changed his mind due to Brad’s presence. When James and Cutter jumped up, Brad did too, only to hesitate and look back for Carl’s permission.

“Don’t go far,” Carl said. “We’re leaving today. What do you say for breakfast?”

“Thank you,” Brad said, turning to face Susanna, before racing the other middle boys out of camp.

“Thank you,” Ramsey echoed, still in the safety of Carl’s lap.

Jeff tugged on Ramsey’s sleeve. “Come on! Let’s follow them!”

Carl patted Ramsey’s leg. “Go on.”

“Stay away from the water unless your brothers are with you!” Russ called after them.

The campsite was quiet without all the younger boys. Eddie went to help his mom with the dishes while John stayed at the table with his dad and Carl.

“Shame to leave today, just when the boys have all found new friends,” Russ observed.

“I guess.”

“But your parents are probably expecting you home today?”

Carl was amused at the question, recognizing it for the snooping it was. Still, so far Russ had been kind and he didn’t think there was anything to fear from him. His grandfather that he and his brothers lived with following the death of their parents had never even tried to appear kind. The old man had been nasty right from the start, and Carl had responded by keeping his little brothers away as much as possible. Russ and Sue had been kind and their kids all seemed too happy and well-adjusted to be living in fear of their parents. Carl supposed they might possibly be alright. And if they weren’t, the Mustang was packed and they could leave at a moment’s notice. He decided to throw the curious older man a bone.

“No, not really. We can leave anytime and it won’t matter much.”

“Want to go fishing?” John asked, breaking into his thoughts. John grinned at the look of distaste that crossed the other teen’s face. Carl would clearly _not_ like to go fishing.

Carl nodded, though. “Sure, might as well.”

The day passed quickly as all the boys engaged in various activities. The middle boys made themselves scarce, while Jeff and Ramsey ended up playing mostly in camp.

Eddie joined John and Carl in catching a nice string of fish (mostly John and Eddie) and the two Lofton boys cleaned them all. Carl turned his nose up at the thought of handling them, much less gutting them.

“You won’t get to eat ‘em if you don’t clean ‘em,” John said, not really caring if Carl ate them later or not. He said it mostly for Eddie’s benefit, since that was the rule of thumb in their family. Well, with two caveats. First was the necessity of being old enough to handle the knife. At the moment that excluded James and Jeff from the duty. Eddie and Brian were rather proud of being old enough to join the men of the family gutting fish. The second caveat was their mother, of course, and her refusal to clean fish. That was fine for her, they supposed. It was better left for the men, anyway.

Carl scoffed at John’s statement, replying, “Small loss.”

“I can show you how,” Eddie said.

Carl looked at the 12 year-old, poised to turn down his offer. He hesitated, seeing the child’s earnest desire to be helpful. “Alright. You gut, I’ll watch.”

“All right!”

Eddie demonstrated while Carl watched. It didn’t escape John’s notice that throughout the process, Carl never did handle a single fish.

# ..»º*º«..

After wandering around a bit, James, Cutter, and Brad caught up to their little brothers. Jeff and Ramsey had returned to the reeds where they had found the tadpoles the previous day and were crouched at the edge, knees wet from the lapping water.

“Dad said to stay away from the water!” James said, small hands on his hips as he glared at Jeff and Ramsey.

Jeff stuck his tongue out. “Nyahhhh-” His protest was cut short as Cutter hauled him up and away from the water. “Cutter!”

Cutter turned the little boy around to scold him. “You better be glad John isn’t here. He’d swat you for sure!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Carl would too,” Brad said, in a quieter more cautionary tone to his own little brother.

Ramsey crawled backwards, still on his knees, until he was well clear of the water’s edge, then gave an imploring look up at Brad.

Brad smiled. “That’s better.”

Jeff forgot his indignation and curiously asked, “Does your brother spank you?”

“Sometimes,” Brad muttered, embarrassed but seeing no reason to hide it. If they spent much time in the other boys’ company they were likely to witness it, after all.

“Only cos he loves us!” Ramsey protested.

“Do your parents?” Cutter asked Brad.

Brad frowned before shaking his head. “No. Not for a long time.”

“They never spanked me!” Ramsey declared.

“You were just a baby,” Brad said. “Of course they didn’t.”

“He’s not a baby now,” Cutter said in a questioning manner.

Brad shrugged, not willing to go further into the forbidden topic of his parents. Carl had long ingrained in them the need not to tell people theirs had died, at least not until he was 18. Carl said once he turned 18 they wouldn’t have to worry so much about being split up and taken away. Brad wasn’t so sure it would be a bad thing for people to know they were orphans. Maybe they would get put into a nice family? Carl seemed to think they would be split up and never see each other again, and that thought was always sufficient to zip the middle brother’s lips.

Even while he was shrugging, however, Ramsey explained, “Carl’s the only one who punishes us.”

“Shh,” Brad cautioned lowly to his brother.

The three Lofton brothers looked at each other in confusion. What parents didn’t discipline their children? They knew their own parents only punished them because they wanted them to behave and grow up to be good men and because they loved them so much. They knew that because words to that effect often preceded a spanking.

“Anyway,” Brad said, determined to change the subject. “Let’s go exploring!”

All the little boys abandoned the water’s edge to run along one of the many trails criss-crossing the campgrounds.

# ..»º*º«..

Carl intended to take his brothers back to their own campsite for lunch, with the idea of hauling up stakes after that, but when he returned to the Loftons’ campsite after fishing it was to the sight of Jeff and Ramsey sitting at the picnic table swinging their legs, stuffing their faces with peanut butter sandwiches and apple slices. The middle boys, James, Cutter (what kind of name was that? Carl wondered), and his own brother Brad were standing around, paper plates in hand, waiting for Mrs. Lofton to finish making their sandwiches.

“Aww, but we caught fish!” Eddie declared. “We wanted them for lunch!”

Sue glanced over. “You can have them for lunch. John, start a campfire and set the frying pan to heat.”

Carl caught John’s look of annoyance and was faintly amused by it. In a quiet voice not meant to carry to the adults, he said, “Fishing is too much work.”

John snorted in agreement, but feeling his dad’s cool gaze on him, he quickly set to starting the campfire.

“Why can’t we use the cookstove?” Eddie whined. “It would be a lot faster!”

Placing finished sandwiches on Brad’s and her sons’ plates, Sue tutted. “What’s gotten into you today, Eddie?”

Eddie deflated, his protests gone. Truthfully he didn’t know what had gotten into him other than a general unsettled feeling. The younger boys had all run off to play that morning and even though he’d had fun fishing, he’d been very aware that he didn’t really fit in with the older teens. If it was just him and John, things would have been fine! Sure, John and Scott ran him off sometimes, but for the most part they tolerated his presence. They didn’t act all old and stuff. Well, sometimes they acted like big shots, being on the baseball team, but they didn’t act like adults. This Carl seemed a lot older somehow and Eddie felt more like a kid than ever.

“Sorry, Mom.” Eddie carried the cleaned fish closer to the fledgling campfire, kneeling in the dirt to wait until John indicated it was ready.

Carl held back at the edge of camp, wondering how to extricate himself and his brothers when they were both settled in, eating. He didn’t want to impose himself on the Loftons for lunch, but he couldn’t very well leave, not while his brothers were there.

“Carl?” Sue broke into his thoughts.

“Yessum?”

“Are you going to eat some of your catch or would you like a sandwich first?”

“Or both?” Russ added with a laugh.

“Um...”

“I’ll make all of you a sandwich. Can’t have just fish for lunch!”

With the decision to stay or leave suddenly taken out of his hands, Carl joined John and Eddie by the fire. In a surprisingly short time, the fish was batter-fried and ready to eat. The younger boys demanded some, picking up the hot bites in grubby hands and crunching as they ate.

Following lunch, Sue said, “Jeff, nap time.”

Her youngest son screwed up his face. “Aww, Mom!”

“Go on, now,” Russ said, nodding toward the big tent.

With an impressive pout, Jeff started off, kicking his tennis shoes in the dirt at every step. The boys were all about to go exploring again, and now he was going to miss out!

Sue turned to Carl. “What about Ramsey? Does he need to nap? He’s welcome to share the tent with Jeff.”

Ramsey’s jaw dropped, Brad grinned, and even Carl looked amused. “He’s too old for naps.”

Ramsey nodded, glad his brother stuck up for him.

“Really?” Sue asked in disbelief, thinking the blonde little boy younger than her Jeff. “Jeff is six. How old is Ramsey?”

“Six!” Ramsey declared, forgetting his shyness around adults in the face of this near-calamity of being thought young enough to have to take a nap.

“He’s seven in August,” Carl offered.

Another look passed between Sue and her husband. In their own conversations they had guessed him at five years old. Speaking directly to Ramsey this time, Sue said, “Well, if you change your mind, you’re welcome to take a nap in our tent with Jeff.”

“Come on!” Cutter directed, impatiently standing at the edge of the campsite, ready to go exploring again. James and Brad were at his side.

Ramsey glanced between them and the big canvas tent into which his new friend had disappeared. He and his brothers always slept in their car, with a tarp providing some extra room. What was it like inside the tent? He had always been curious about the trailers and tents that other families slept in.

“Carl?” he asked suddenly, looking up at his brother.

“You can nap if you want to,” Carl replied, a rare smile on his face.

“Maybe I can read while Jeff sleeps?”

“I think the boys have some books in there,” Russ agreed.

Ramsey scampered off to the tent, causing the adults to chuckle. Cutter rolled his eyes, and he, Brad, and James took off again. Eddie looked between the older teens and the disappearing boys, and ran after them.

Despite his protests, Jeff was hunkered down on top of his sleeping bag, a light baby blanket curled around him when Ramsey went in. “Are they making you nap too?”

“Mhm,” Ramsey lied, looking around.

Jeff patted the empty sleeping bag next to him, and Ramsey laid down, crossing his arms under his head. The tent was a heavy green canvas and succeeded in shutting out most of the outside sunlight. Even the voices of the oldest brothers and adults were muted by the fabric. Ramsey saw a stack of picture books within arm’s reach and lazily turned on his side to look at them. Selecting one with a friendly looking crocodile on the cover called _Loveable Lyle_ , he pulled it to him and began reading.

# ..»º*º«..

The afternoon passed quickly, and once again Carl found himself unable to hit the road with his brothers. He had been amused by Ramsey’s curiosity over nap time in the tent with the other little boy. Living as they did, his youngest brother had never had a set nap time. Most of the time he didn’t really know what his brothers did during the day, not if he was off at work. They were always under strict orders to stay inside wherever they lived, but other than doing their lessons they didn’t really have to account for their time. If Carl was between jobs and they were out camping, like now, the little one would just fall asleep if he was tired no matter the time of day. The teenager excused himself not long after the little boys went into the tent and returned to his own campsite. He had some reading to do.

# ..»º*º«..

Sue checked on the little boys mid-afternoon and wasn’t a bit surprised to find both of them sound asleep. The sound of the zipper opening the flap caused Jeff to wake, and he smiled happily at seeing his mother.

She put her finger to her lips to keep him quiet so he wouldn’t wake the other boy, but it was too late. He was already rolling over and shoving Ramsey’s shoulder.

“Wake up! Let’s go play!”

Ramsey woke with a start, confused as to where he was. For a second he panicked, because he always, always woke to the sight of Brad nearby. Then he recognized Mrs. Lofton and Jeff and smiled shyly.

Emerging from the tent a minute later, Jeff asked his parents, “Where’s the others?”

“They’re all out exploring,” Russ said.

“Even John?”

“Yes.”

Ramsey stuck close to Jeff’s side. Russ noticed the uneasy way he looked around and answered his unspoken question.

“Brad is with our boys, tromping through the woods, and I believe Carl is back at your campsite.”

“Would you like to go back and see your brother?” Sue added kindly.

A hesitant shake of the head accompanied a longing look to the Wades’ campsite. Russ and Sue exchanged looks, then Russ jumped to his feet.

“I know two boys who probably need to go potty after their nap.” He held a hand out for each of them. “We’ll stop by your campsite after, Ramsey.”

Once again the Wade brothers were invited to dinner. Carl would have declined, but when he followed Russ, Jeff, and Ramsey back to the Loftons’ campsite, he found Brad still out playing. Might as well stay for some of the stew that Mrs. Lofton was stirring on the cookstove. When the rest of the boys returned to camp they were happy but tired and hungry. The two families ate together and had another evening of roasting marshmallows.

## Tuesday - Trouble

The next morning Carl intended to pack up, but his little brothers had awakened early and slipped silently over to see their new friends. Brad knew for a fact that the food in their own campsite was reduced to a couple heels of a bread loaf, and he was holding out hopes of being invited to breakfast. Hand in hand Brad and Ramsey approached the Loftons, who all broke into welcoming smiles, and two minutes later they were tearing into another hearty breakfast.

When Carl woke up, he immediately noticed his brothers’ absence but didn’t have more than a moment of concern. He knew where they were. He was too proud to go begging for breakfast himself, and settled down with a book and a cold cup of coffee.

By midday Carl’s stomach was growling, a reminder that he really needed to head to town to replenish their supplies. Either that or the little camp store at the entrance. And then they needed to hit the road. First, though, he needed to retrieve his brothers. He wandered over to the Loftons’, pretending to himself that he didn’t know it was lunchtime.

“Join us for lunch!” Sue invited.

“Oh, is it lunchtime?” Carl asked, managing a convincing bewilderment at the time.

# ..»º*º«..

That afternoon Jeff and Ramsey again napped, or in Ramsey’s case, read a book until he fell asleep in the spacious tent. Brad ran off with Cutter and James to explore. Carl went back to his own campsite, so Eddie went fishing with John and their father. Sue took advantage of the peace and quiet and pulled out several magazines.

Trouble came late afternoon when Cutter anxiously ran into the camp, looking around wildly for his father.

“Where’s Daddy?”

Sue set her magazine down, recognizing the guilty expression on her middle son’s face. “Fishing with your brothers. What’s wrong?”

The 9 year-old caught his breath before spitting out, “We’re in- in trouble. Down at the store.”

His mother’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of trouble?”

A gulp that had nothing to do with his recent run. “We might have stolen some candy.” At his mother’s sudden quick breath he quickly added, “You or Dad have to come down there.”

Sue glanced at the tent where the two youngest boys were still napping. “I can’t leave now. You’ll have to get your father at the lake.”

“Okay.” Cutter started to run off, then turned back. “Sorry, Mom!”

# ..»º*º«..

Half an hour later three worried, tearful boys and one angry, disappointed man made their way to the Wade campsite. Carl was reading at the picnic table, but glanced up at their approach. Taking in Russ’s expression, he set his book face down on the flat surface beside him and stood, crossing his arms and fixing a stern look on his quailing brother.

“What’s going on?”

Brad, Cutter, and James all scuffed their feet, not meeting Carl’s or Mr. Lofton’s gazes. When silence met the question, Russ, in no mood to stand around wasting time, said, “These three stole candy bars at the camp store.”

Carl knew Brad nicked the occasional candy bar. Heck, he did it himself because money was always tight. As his brother’s guardian, he knew he should be as upset as Mr. Lofton, but he couldn’t quite muster the anger. Well, except for one thing. Grabbing Brad by the shoulder, he gave him a shake and leaned down to scold him. “You got caught shoplifting?”

“Yes,” Brad admitted, staring at the ground. He knew exactly why his brother was mad and it had nothing to do with shoplifting. It was all about being caught.

“Go get the flyswatter.”

Russ said nothing as Brad slumped his shoulders and headed towards the Mustang. His own two were going to get their own bottoms warmed when he got them back to camp. Hopefully Carl had a light touch, he mused.

“Sorry,” Carl apologized, breaking into his thoughts. “I’ll punish him. I’m sorry he got your kids in trouble.”

“It wasn’t his idea,” Cutter protested, falling silent when his dad put a hand on his shoulder.

“I think all three boys share the blame,” Russ calmly said. “They’ll all be punished.”

Carl nodded, stressed and just wanting the conversation to end.

“Come on, boys.” Russ herded his two away.

Carl waited a moment as they left, then followed his brother, intending to take him into the woods a little distance. The trees afforded a lot more privacy for baring his brother’s bottom and giving him the spanking he deserved.

# ..»º*º«..

“Hey, boys,” Russ said to Jeff and Ramsey as he entered camp. The boys were awake now and eating cookies while playing with Jeff’s Tonka trucks.

“Hi, Daddy!” Jeff said. Ramsey grinned, but remained quiet.

Russ and Sue exchanged glances, and Sue beckoned to the youngest boys. “Let’s go down to the lake and see if they’ve caught any fish!”

“Fish, smish,” Jeff protested before making bulldozer noises and shoving his toy through the dirt.

“Come, Jeff.”

“Go on,” said Russ.

Sue held her hand out and Jeff knew it was time to obey. He grabbed her hand and Ramsey took her other one after just a moment of hesitation.

When they were alone in the camp, Russ pointed to the picnic bench and his sons immediately sat down. The man crossed his arms as he stood in front of them, a tall, imposing figure to 8 and 9 year-olds. James slowly swung his feet as he stared at the ground, but Cutter tried to look his father in the eye.

“Whose idea was it?”

After James gave a wordless shrug, Cutter spoke up quietly. “Brad got a candy bar and stuck it in his pocket when we were looking at the comic books. And it seemed like no one noticed. So I said I bet I could take one too, without getting caught. And then James tried too.”

“And how’d that work out for you?” their father asked.

Cutter answered the somewhat rhetorical question. “Not very good.”

“No, sir,” James replied in agreement.

“You both know stealing is wrong. Didn’t your consciences give you pause, for even a moment?”

“Yessir,” James said to his dad’s boots.

His older brother grinned suddenly. “My conscience must have been asleep!”

James shot Cutter a look of disbelief before watching how their father would react.

Russell loved his middle son. The boy was protective, happy, sturdy, fearless, honest to a fault... but sometimes he needed to learn what _not_ to say. This was one of those times.

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that, son. You know the best way to wake a conscience up?”

“How?” Cutter asked warily. His father was just supposed to laugh, not act like a sleeping conscience was an actual thing!

“A good spanking will do the trick!”

“Daddy!”

“Did you think you were getting out of this without a spanking?”

The boy sighed, giving up on winning his dad over with humor. “No, sir.”

“My conscience was awake, Daddy,” James said, scooting an inch away from his brother.

“I’m glad for that, but it didn’t stop you from stealing, did it?”

“No, sir.”

“Seems like yours can use a tune-up too.”

James glared at Cutter, who threw his hands up. “I didn’t tell you to do it!”

“That’s enough, boys. Cutter, wait here. James and I are going into the tent for a few minutes.”

James immediately started crying. “No, Daddy, nonono!”

Russell picked the 8 year-old up and carried him into the tent. There weren’t any chairs in the tent, so after setting James down he sat cross-legged on one of the sleeping bags. He reached out and unfastened his son’s shorts, pulling them down along with the underwear, then quickly guided him across his lap. James lay rigidly, cringing, waiting for the first swat.

“I know you know how to behave, James. Don’t follow your brother and friends into trouble, alright?”

“Y-yes, Daddy.”

Russ gave the little boy eight swats, making the last one a little harder to signal the end of the spanking. Then he quickly flipped James around, cradling him in a hug while he cried.

As the flow of tears dwindled, James hiccupped an “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are, son. I forgive you. No more stealing, right?”

“No more.”

Russ stood James up then followed him to the tent’s entrance. As James went out, Russ called for his other son.

Cutter slowly approached the tent and ducked under his dad’s arm as he held the flap open. Once inside he waited for his father to sit, then pulled his jeans down without being told to. He had hopes that his underwear could remain up, but those hopes were dashed as his father yanked them down just before pulling the boy across his lap.

“Now, then, let’s see if we can’t wake that conscience of yours up.”

“It’s awake now, Dad!”

“Let’s make sure of that.” Instead of the measured swats he usually doled out, and which he had given to James, Russell fired a round of quick, sharp smacks all over Cutter’s behind. Taken by surprise, the boy yelped and even bent his knees to bring his feet back to cover his bottom. “None of that,” Russ said sternly. He paused long enough to place his right hand on Cutter’s legs, straightening them again, then launched into a second volley of quick stinging swats.

“Oww, Daddy!”

Russell paused again. “Feel your conscience starting to wake up now?”

“Yesss!”

“Good. We can start the spanking now.”

Cutter raised up, swiveling to look around and up at his dad with tear-filled eyes. “Start?”

“Sure, son. That was just to make sure your conscience was working for the future.”

“Daddy,” came the grumpy reply. Honestly, Cutter’s father was taking his joke entirely too far!

“Get back down now.”

Cutter reluctantly obeyed, resting his head on his crossed arms on the sleeping bag. Soon came the heavier, slower swats that usually happened in one of his dad’s spankings. The boy buried his head, occasionally turning his head to wipe the tears away. Nine swats later, his father stopped and lifted the boy from his lap. Rising slightly from his seated position, he pulled his son’s underwear and jeans back up, then gently pulled his son onto his lap.

Cutter let himself be babied, crying into his father’s chest.

“Sorry, Daddy.”

“You’re forgiven, son.”

After a few quiet moments, Russ helped his son to his feet, getting himself up as well.

“There’s a time and a place for jokes, son,” he said, looking earnestly into Cutter’s eyes. Then with a twinkle in his own eye, he added, “When your behind is already in the line of fire is not the time nor the place. Got it?”

“Yessir, got it.”

# ..»º*º«..

Well, there went the idea of buying food in the campground’s little store! Carl was sure he would be recognized as the guardian of the boy who had stolen a candy bar. No way was he going to poke his head in there again. The store was rather hokey, anyway, he decided. Done up like a little log cabin with lots of animals carved out of tree stumps everywhere. He remembered there was a grocery store maybe 20 miles away, and they could stop there on their way out. After spanking Brad with the flyswatter, Carl intended to take his brothers and leave, but found Ramsey had gone to the lake with the Loftons.

Brad moped around the Wade campsite, embarrassed at getting spanked and sure that the Loftons were mad at him and wouldn’t want him over to play anymore. Even Carl had abandoned him, going off to find Ramsey.

Ramsey, meanwhile, was having fun with Jeff at the lake’s edge. This time it was sanctioned, with Mrs. Lofton there to watch them. Any tadpoles that might have been around had long fled the Tonka trucks squelching through the mud.

When Carl showed up seeking Ramsey, Sue patted the fallen log where she was sitting. Carl hesitated. He was there just to retrieve his baby brother and hit the road. He didn’t want to be rude, though, and truth be told he had been enjoying the company of this other family. Or rather, he knew his brothers were having fun playing with the other boys. It was somewhat rare for them to find boys their own ages to play with, and here was a family with a whole bunch of boys the right ages! It wasn’t like he had anywhere to rush off to if they left the campsite. It was more a matter of stocking up on food again and not feeling like they were imposing. Carl had too much pride to just show up for every meal hoping to be fed.

“How are you?” Sue asked kindly, shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun as she looked at the teen beside her.

“Alright. Had better days. Sorry my brother got your kids in trouble.”

Sue chuckled. “Brian doesn’t need much encouragement to get in trouble. It was just as likely his idea as Brad’s.”

Carl smiled. “Maybe. Anyway, he’s been punished. Guess he won’t get caught doing that again.”

“I’m sure they’ll find some other way to get into mischief.”

“Man, I hope not.”

Sue smiled again. After a moment she said, “Your parents have given you a lot of responsibility, taking your brothers camping by yourselves. My husband and I allow John to go camping with his friends, but not to take his brothers along.”

Carl looked out over the lake. Ramsey was playing with a dump truck while Jeff had a bulldozer. The two boys played well together, making truck noises and shoving the toys along the bank, scooping up mud. Maybe 50 yards away John and Eddie were fishing, casting their lines out practically in tandem. The late afternoon sun shone across the ripples in the water. Those Lofton boys didn’t know how good they had it.

“My parents-” Carl began, then stopped. He didn’t know if it was the stillness of the late afternoon or the knowledge that he could still pack up and leave at any time, but he felt the strange desire to open up. It had been so long since he had. He glanced at Mrs. Lofton, then said, “My parents aren’t around anymore.”

“They died?”

“Yessum. Brad and Ramsey, they’re mine to raise now.”

Sue stopped herself from throwing her arms around the solemn boy. “I’m so sorry,” she quietly said. Then, not able to help it, she leaned over to put an arm around his shoulders. He stiffened, just as she anticipated he might, but then seemed to accept it. “Do you have other family to help?”

“We had a grandfather, but he died recently.” A year ago, Carl thought. And a very hard year it had been. He had made his grandfather’s money last a long time, taking jobs as he could, but now it was all gone.

“And there’s no one else to help?”

“No’m.”

“How old are you?”

“Eighteen,” came the easy lie. In a few months he’d be 18. Close enough.

“Where do you boys live?”

“Here and there.”

With this evasive answer Sue decided not to push for more answers. Giving his shoulders a little squeeze she said, “Well, you must be a very responsible young man. Your parents would be proud of you.”

Carl thought over the last few years since his parents died. Really, what had he done to be proud of? He had protected his brothers from their grandfather, sure. He had taken care of them by himself for the last year, sure. It was a constant struggle, though. Money, food, raising his brothers. Ramsey was pretty well behaved, but Brad was a handful. Three more years til his middle brother was a teenager. How was he going to handle him then? Oh, and school. Sure, he was teaching the boys himself. It wasn’t like the curriculum he had grown up with. Mostly reading and math and languages. No sports or art or friends or anything much, really. For about the hundredth time he found himself wondering if he was doing the best thing for them. Maybe he should find them a real home...

“I guess,” he finally replied.

A cool breeze made Sue shiver. “We should get the boys in from the water.”

“Alright.” Carl stood, following Sue to the water’s edge.

“Look at all that mud!” she exclaimed, laughing at the sight of the swamp creatures named Jeff and Ramsey. “Let’s get you to camp, then it’s shower time for you, Jeffrey.”

Carl realized Ramsey could probably use one too. And Brad. And himself. “You too, Ramsey. Let’s find Brad and we’ll all get cleaned up.”

“There are a few washing machines by the showers, aren’t there?” Sue asked Carl. “If you all bring some clothes to change into, we can throw all your clothes in with ours.”

Carl didn’t know whether to feel relieved and grateful or insulted. He glanced sideways at this woman who was so easy to talk to, and now stood waiting with an expectant smile on her face. “Okay. Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next we'll find out what happens to make Carl accept help (beyond all those free meals ;-)) 
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	3. Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When his little brother gets sick, Carl's inadequacies are revealed (at least in his own mind).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this AU, I'm changing Carl's birthday from 'in two weeks' to December. I want him to be 17 a while longer :)

That evening after showers and laundry, Brad and Ramsey snuggled together in the back seat of the Mustang, dressed in clean clothes, a clean blanket wrapped around them up to their chins. Ramsey took a deep sniff and wiggled his toes happily.

“Smells so good!”

His brothers laughed at him, but he didn’t mind. He just wiggled his feet even faster, grinning.

“That’s the dryer sheets,” Carl explained.

“How come don’t we have dryer sheets when we do the laundry?” Ramsey asked.

“Cos they’re a luxury.”

Ramsey fell silent at that, while Brad nodded knowingly. Both boys knew ‘luxury’ meant something nice that they couldn’t afford.

Their sudden quiet made Carl feel badly. Tucking the blanket around Brad’s feet, he said, “They’re nice, aren’t they?”

“Yeah,” Brad agreed, wistfully adding, “I remember that smell. Mom used them, didn’t she?”

Carl paused. “Yes, she did.”

“Mrs. Lofton cooks good, doesn’t she?” Ramsey quietly asked.

“Yes, she does. And it’s ‘Mrs. Lofton is a good cook’ or ‘she cooks well’, not ‘cooks good’.” Carl couldn’t help correcting his little brother’s grammar. “Okay, time to sleep. Toes.” Carl waited until Brad visibly drew his legs up, indicating that his toes weren’t hanging over the end of the back seat and weren’t in danger of being closed in the door, then shut the back door.

Carl laid down in the front seat, intending to read by flashlight until he fell asleep. His thoughts wouldn’t stop drifting to the family a few campsites away. It was easy to think he was doing right by his brothers when they were off on their own. Living by themselves, without contact with others, he could ignore the thought that his brothers deserved to grow up in a real family, that they deserved better than living on the road with him, always near-broke and on the run. Confronted with a real family, one whose members appeared to love each other, it made him feel shabby and inadequate. Brad and Ramsey did deserve better. Sighing, he turned off the flashlight and closed his eyes.

**Wednesday**

Wednesday morning when the Wade boys didn’t show up for breakfast, Eddie, Cutter, James, and Jeff walked over to their campsite. Brad and Carl were folding up the tarp, while Ramsey was gathering the rest of their belongings together.

“Are you leaving?” Eddie asked.

“No!” Jeff shouted, running over to Ramsey and throwing his arms around him. “Are you leaving?”

“Are we leaving?” Ramsey asked his oldest brother over his shoulder. He wasn’t sure. Carl had merely told the boys to ‘break camp’. Usually that meant they were leaving, but Carl hadn’t told them where they were going.

“Gotta get supplies,” Carl explained.

Ramsey frowned in confusion. “So, are we leaving?”

“What kind of supplies?” Cutter asked.

“Food,” Brad replied with a grin.

“We have Oreos at our camp. You can have some!” Jeff said.

The enthusiastic, innocent offer made Brad laugh, and even Carl broke a smile.

“We need more than Oreos,” the older boy commented.

Gesturing back towards the camp entrance, Eddie asked, “Why not go to the camp store?”

The three boys who had been caught shoplifting the day before all ducked their heads and found their shoes interesting. Carl noticed, and exchanged a smirk with Eddie.

“That’s why,” Carl drawled, tossing the folded up tarp in the trunk of the Mustang.

Ever-optimistic and helpful Eddie suggested, “I’ll go for you. Give me money and tell me what you need, and I’ll buy it.”

Carl stopped his actions to give this young boy his full attention. The smiling 12 year-old was bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, ready to dash off to the camp store on this errand.

“Alright,” Carl conceded after a long moment, digging out his wallet. He opened it, hiding the fact that he was down to his last two tens and a five. Pulling out one of the tens he said, “Get bread, peanut butter, honey, maybe some apples if they have them... whatever you can get for this.”

“Okay!” Eddie pocketed the money, proud of being entrusted with this important mission.

“Nothing that needs refrigerating.”

“Okay!” Eddie ran off for the store, leaving his younger brothers with the Wades.

“So we’re staying?” Brad asked, approaching the car’s trunk.

Carl shrugged. “I guess. But we need to start lessons up again. You two have been slacking this week.”

Jeff and Ramsey excitedly jumped up and down before Jeff pulled Ramsey away. “Let’s go play!”

“So you guys didn’t have breakfast yet?” Cutter asked.

“No,” Brad replied, unfolding the tarp and shaking it out. Carl took the other side and starting setting their makeshift shelter up again.

“Mom can make more pancakes if you wanna come over,” James announced.

“Thanks. We’ll be fine,” Carl said.

James and Cutter exchanged shrugs. They silently watched as Carl and Brad worked, and when it seemed like they were done, Cutter asked Brad, “Can you come play?”

Brad looked to Carl for permission, and at the nod he received, ran off with the other two younger boys.

Eddie returned about half an hour later carrying a paper bag in both arms. It was so large and stuffed, he could barely see over the top of it.

“Hey, thanks,” Carl said, rescuing the boy from his burden. He set the sack down on the picnic table and started looking through its contents.

“I only spent about $6. That’s all I could carry!” Eddie dug out the change, handing it to the teen.

“Heh, that’s okay. Bread, peanut butter... honey... apples... oranges... chips. You got everything I asked. Thanks, Eddie.” Carl tossed Eddie back a quarter. “Get yourself a candy bar.”

“Wow, thanks!” Eddie ran off again, not believing his luck. His mother loved to bake and always had cookies on hand, but having pocket change to buy actual store bought candy was a rarity.

Carl watched him run off, amused.

Somehow, the three Wade brothers ended up eating breakfast courtesy of the Loftons again. The two youngest boys had shown up first, Jeff holding tightly to Ramsey’s hand as if afraid the other boy would have to leave again if he let go.

“Mommy!” Jeff called at the edge of camp. “Mommy!”

“What is it, Jeff?” Sue asked, emerging from the tent. She ran to her youngest, expecting to find a calamity to have befallen him from his frantic voice.

Swinging his friend’s hand, Jeff announced, “Ramsey didn’t have breakfast yet!”

Sue straightened, giving both boys a ‘you scared me half to death for _that?_ ’ look. Jeff grinned in response, and Ramsey managed a worried smile. He didn’t mind showing up hoping for breakfast and it didn’t hurt his pride any to accept it, but he did recognize that their entrance to camp was a little overdramatic.

Hands on her hips (once she caught her breath), Sue smiled reassuringly and said, “We’ll have to do something about that, won’t we?”

As the little boys tucked into pancakes a short time later (it being round two for Jeff), James and Cutter showed up with Brad.

“Come on over,” Sue said, flipping another pancake, having anticipated the arrival of the middle Wade brother.

Once Brad was settled with breakfast, Sue looked down the dirt road towards the other campsite, expecting to see Carl on his way. She poured more batter onto the grill for him. When she had a nice stack of pancakes worthy of an 18 year-old, but no sign of the teen, she placed them on an aluminum camp plate and covered it with tin foil. Grabbing the syrup and a fork, she said, “I’ll be right back, boys. Don’t leave camp while I’m gone.”

Carl put the groceries away in the trunk of the Mustang, except for the fresh fruit which he kept on the picnic table. When Mrs. Lofton arrived, his eyes flickered to the breakfast plate and syrup bottle she carried, then back up to meet her eyes.

“Good morning,” he greeted her politely.

“Good morning, Carl.” Sue placed the plate on the table. “Your brothers made it over for breakfast.”

Embarrassed, he said, “Sorry about that. We have food now, they shouldn’t have imposed like that.”

Sue waved that off and sat at the table, indicating for the teen to start eating. Carl obeyed her unspoken command and was happy to discover a hearty stack of five pancakes. Sue kept him company while he ate, chatting lightly but managing to glean more information from the teen in the meanwhile.

“My husband always takes two weeks of vacation time each summer, and we usually go camping as a family.”

Carl seemed surprised. “For two whole weeks?”

“Yes, usually. Sometimes we have to cut the trip short for one reason or another, but we try to take the full two weeks. It’s a great chance for the family to bond, without school or work getting in the way.”

The teen nodded thoughtfully. He swallowed his bite, then said, “My parents weren’t really the camping type.” With a wry grin he added, “Neither am I, I guess. Fishing and all that.”

Sue smiled. She could appreciate that. “I’m sure it’s still a good chance for you and your brothers to bond, isn’t it?”

“I guess,” was the slow reply. Carl hadn’t really thought of it that way. Since their parents had died, and especially in the last year, his brothers were around him constantly. Bonding time? They had nothing but bonding time. Carl sometimes wistfully thought of ‘away from his little brothers’ time. If he hadn’t been made to stay home and work on his grandfather’s farm the last couple of years, he would have been entering his senior year of high school in September. Instead he was saddled with trying to raise an often stubborn 10 year-old and a precocious 6 year-old. Thinking about it now, he felt guilty for the momentary resentment he harbored towards the boys. He was doing the best he could; they all were. It wasn’t the boys’ fault any more than it was his. He should be more like Mr. and Mrs. Lofton and try to turn their everyday lives into a positive. Bonding time. Yes, he should look at it like that.

“It’s our first time at Tie Hack,” Sue said, breaking into his thoughts. “It’s nice here, isn’t it?”

“Yessum.”

“Your first time here too?”

“Yessum.” Carl finished eating and set the fork down on the metal plate. “That was good, thank you.”

He liked her warm smile as she said, “It was my pleasure.”

As she reached for the dishes, he said, “I’ll wash them up and take them over.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll add these to the breakfast dishes I haven’t washed yet.”

That didn’t seem fair to Carl, her having to wash the dishes in addition to having cooked breakfast. She was already standing up, though, the dishes in hand.

“Stop by later,” she said.

“Alright.”

..»º*º«..

“So do you guys just travel around from campground to campground all the time?” Eddie asked.

Eddie, Brad, Cutter, and James were sitting at the dock at the lake. The Lofton boys knew they weren’t allowed to go in the water without John or their parents around, so for now they were just dangling their feet and throwing rocks.

“Mostly.”

“That must be fun!” James exclaimed. “Like vacation every day!”

“Kind of,” Brad admitted. “But we can’t always afford to stay in campgrounds, so sometimes we just park somewhere on a street.”

“Aren’t campgrounds free?” James asked.

“No,” Cutter scoffed. “It’s $2 entrance fee and 50 cents a night for each of us.”

“Wow, we’re expensive.”

The other boys laughed, then Cutter asked, “And you never have to go to school?”

Never _get_ to go to school, Brad thought. “No, but my brother teaches us.”

“How does he know so much?” James asked. “Did he go to college to be a teacher?”

It was Brad’s turn to scoff. “Naw, he dropped out of high school. Besides, he’s only 17.”

“John’s almost 17,” Eddie offered. Shaking his head, he said, “I can’t imagine him being in charge and teaching us and all.”

Cutter loyally stuck up for his beloved oldest brother. “He could do it!”

“Yeah, he could do it!” James echoed.

“I dunno,” Eddie said. “Seems like it would be awfully hard.”

“Yeah,” Brad agreed, thinking over the last year. It had been hard, probably harder than Carl let on since his older brother wasn’t exactly the type to share the details of their finances. Carl had managed pretty well, he thought, but he knew their money was getting real tight. “Soon as we leave here, he’ll be getting a job.”

..»º*º«..

The middle and older boys played catch, with the exception of Carl who sat at the edge of the Lofton camp chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Lofton. The Lofton boys ran over to their parents from time to time and Carl watched as they patiently listened and dealt with whatever the need was. It reminded him of his own parents. His family hadn’t been very well off, not like the Loftons seemed to be, but both sets of parents were kind. Maybe his brothers would be better off if he gave them up? They might end up with a nice family like the Loftons. Carl hated to think of his brothers being separated, and that might happen. He would miss them too. He would be 18 soon enough, and he knew social services wouldn’t bother with him. Even if he was taken in, he’d wind up in a group home or something. Who in their right mind would take in an older teen who had dropped out of school at 15? Carl’s brow furrowed at the thought. He had hated dropping out! He mentally cursed the grandfather who had forced it on him.

He’d had a girlfriend too. Rachel. What would she think if she could see him now? Instead of going off to an Ivy League college together, she’d be going by herself. He was just a drop-out with scars on his back left by his grandfather’s strap. No one she’d be interested in anymore. If Carl was honest with himself, he would admit he had never given up hope of making it to college. He studied constantly and though he didn’t have external measures of his progress, he thought for sure he must be keeping up with his peers academically.

Brad suddenly ran up to Carl, holding his left hand in his right one, face scrunched up in pain. “Owwww!” he whimpered as he drew close.

Carl gently pulled the boy close. “What happened? Let me see.”

Brad held his left hand out, and Carl saw the palm was scraped and bleeding. “I fell on some rocks.”

The teen stood, guiding his brother to the water spigot. “How’d you manage that?”

“He was backing up to catch a ball and tripped over a stick and fell,” Cutter explained, having run over after his friend.

Carl held Brad’s hand under the pipe, and pumped the handle a few times to get the water flowing. The 10 year-old hissed, but the cool water soon helped.

“There, how’s that? Better?” Carl asked.

“Mhm,” Brad said, holding his hand up to look at it. The scrapes were still welling with blood, mixing with the water, but it didn’t hurt quite as much.

“Here, dry your hand with this,” Mrs. Lofton said, appearing and handing the boy a paper towel. “Just tamp it dry.”

Brad took the paper towel and carefully patted his hand dry. By the time he finished, the woman had returned with a brown bottle and a fresh paper towel.

“We’ll put hydrogen peroxide on it. Brian, will you please get the Band-aids?”

Cutter ran to the jeep where the first aid kit was kept, while Sue poured hydrogen peroxide over the scrape.

Brad didn’t remember having... stuff... poured over his wounds before, and looked at the brown bottle suspiciously. Mrs. Lofton set him at ease. “It’s disinfecting it, see how it bubbles?”

“Mhm,” Brad said, watching closely. He could feel the bubbles forming, it was a strange sensation. He took a deep breath, rather proud of himself for not crying when he fell.

Carl watched as this mother of five boys expertly handled his little brother. He remembered the days of hydrogen peroxide, but he didn’t have any himself. Water and a clean t-shirt wrapped around a scrape, that had been good enough for him and his brothers the last couple of years. When Cutter showed up with a box of Band-aids, Carl felt useless and kind of... foolish, for not taking better care of Brad.

..»º*º«..

That afternoon, Jeff surprised his parents by yawning and asking, “Nap time?”

Mr. and Mrs. Lofton had talked the night before, deciding they would see how their little 6 year-old would manage without nap time. He was starting first grade in two months and naps would be a thing of the past at that point. Their plan was to not mention nap time, and see how Jeff fared without one. They thought he might get tired or cranky, but better for him to transition to staying awake now rather than in two months. So, they were surprised when Jeff draped himself against his mother’s side, tiredly asking about nap time.

“I’m tiiiired,” Jeff whined.

“Me too,” Ramsey agreed, at his friends’ side. He stifled his own yawn.

Both boys certainly looked tired.

“Go on and nap,” Sue said, shooing them towards the tent.

Two hours later when the boys hadn’t emerged from the tent, Sue looked inside. She knew Jeff would be disappointed if he missed all the days’ fun while he was sleeping.

“Hey, Jeff, Ramsey, ready to wake up?” she asked with a soft smile, kneeling beside them. The two boys lay side by side, Ramsey’s arm loosely flung over Jeff’s chest. Blankets were tossed by the side, and the boys just wore t-shirts and shorts.

Jeff woke up first. “Mommyyyyy...” he croaked, reaching a hand out towards his mother. “I don’t feel good.”

Sue frowned. “Why don’t you feel good?”

“I’m hooooot.”

She felt his forehead. Jeff was indeed quite hot. The air in the tent was still, but the vent flaps were all open. She didn’t think it would account for his heat. “Let’s get you outside in the fresh air.”

Jeff wearily sat up, teary-eyed, and got to his feet at his mother’s prompting.

Ramsey was awake now too, and seeing the other boy getting maternal attention, decided to try for some too. “I’m hot too.”

“Are you?” Sue felt his forehead. “You are. Outside with you both.”

Once outside the tent, both boys appeared pinkish, like they’d been out in the sun.

“Let’s get you boys a cool drink.” She went to the cooler which was refreshed with ice from the camp store every day. A dozen cans of pop floated in a watery and icy mix. Pulling out a can of 7-Up, she popped the top and poured it into two camp cups then handed one to each boy. Jeff and Ramsey thirstily drank their entire drinks, then looked at her expectantly, wanting more. She got a second can, splitting that one also. “Is that better?”

“Nooo,” Jeff whined. “My throat hurts.”

“How about you, Ramsey?”

Even though he was genuinely starting to feel sick, Ramsey was digging the attention. It wasn’t much of an effort for him to sound pitiful. “My throat hurts too.”

“What’s wrong?” Mr. Lofton asked, happening upon the scene.

“They’re both feverish, with sore throats.”

Russ crouched down in front of the boys. “Let’s see those tongues.”

Jeff immediately stuck his tongue out, and Ramsey soon followed his example.

“Hmm... a little red. Early bedtime for you both.”

When neither little boy objected to that proclamation, Russ and Sue exchanged glances. The middle boys came running into camp just then, and Russ redirected them. “Boys, go tell Carl Ramsey is sick. We have cold medicine, but I want his okay before giving it to him. Jeff, let’s take your temperature.”

Russ dug in the first aid kit, finding the thermometer, then picked Jeff up and headed for the privacy of the tent. Knowing what was coming, Jeff whined his protests. “Hush, now.”

Ramsey watched with interest, not having any clue what was going on. He didn’t remember ever having his temperature taken, and didn’t know what the process was or why Jeff was upset by it. He sat on the picnic bench, glad he wasn’t in the tent right now!

Cutter, James, and Brad thundered off, returning a few minutes later with a concerned Carl. Ramsey lifted his arms and his oldest brother obligingly picked him up.

“What’s wrong? You don’t feel good?”

“Mmm...” Ramsey murmured, burrowing his face in Carl’s neck.

Russ and Jeff emerged from the tent, the little boy frowning and unhappy.

“Only 99.2,” Russ said. “We’ll keep an eye on it. Let’s give them cold medicine for now.” Looking at Carl, he asked, “That alright with you?”

Carl felt slightly out of his depth. His brothers didn’t get sick very often and he wasn’t up on what to do in situations like this. Deciding to go with the flow, he nodded. “Yes, sir, that’s fine. Thank you.”

Both boys were dosed with a spoonful of red medicine and spent the rest of the afternoon quietly lounging around the Lofton campsite, Carl and the adults hovering. Mrs. Lofton opened several cans of chicken soup for dinner for everyone, thinking it would be good for the little ones who were then put to bed early. The older kids still roasted marshmallows that evening, but it was much quieter than the previous nights.

After the Wades left, the younger Loftons were put to bed, leaving just John and his parents. After they’d chatted quietly for a while, Mr. Lofton eyed his son speculatively.

“Would you know what to do with Jeff if your mother and I weren’t here?”

“Toss him in the lake?” At his dad’s glare, John grinned and said, “Sorry. You mean cos he’s sick?”

“Yes.”

“Take his temperature... give him soup and medicine?”

Seeing as that was everything that had been done for the child so far, Russ figured John didn’t know what to do beyond that. He doubted Carl did either, and mentioned it.

Sue shook her head. “I can’t imagine raising two boys like that, at 18.”

“Eddie told me he’s 17.”

Both parents looked at John sharply, hearing that news. “Seventeen?” Sue asked. “He told me he’s 18.”

“Guess he lied.”

“Well, I think he needs help,” Mrs. Lofton firmly decided. “Imagine, a 17 year-old trying to raise his brothers all on his own.”

“Tomorrow I’ll talk to him,” Russ assured his wife.

**Thursday**

Carl was awakened very early Thursday morning by a quiet knock on the Mustang’s driver’s side window. It threw him into a disoriented panic until he twisted his head up to see who it was. Mr. Lofton. Carl sat up, rolling down the window a little as he did so. The man appeared solemn and businesslike, rather like he had when he brought Brad back to camp after the shoplifting incident, and the teen wondered what he or his brothers might have done wrong now.

“Good morning,” Russ began.

“Good morning,” Carl repeated, stifling a yawn. “What time is it?”

“About 6. Sorry to wake you, but Jeff is worse and I wanted to check on Ramsey.”

“Worse?” Carl looked into the rear seat, finding both his little brothers awake and silently watching the interaction. Was Ramsey crying?

“Yes, we’re going to town, have him checked out.” Mr. Lofton leaned over to look in the back seat. “Good morning, boys. How are you feeling, Ramsey?”

Brad sat up, the action pulling the blanket off Ramsey and all eyes turned to the little boy. Overnight a blotchy red rash had developed, covering his neck and tummy. Ramsey pulled his t-shirt down to cover it, embarrassed and aching.

Carl quickly got out, opened the back door, and picked up the 6 year-old who had started to silently cry. “Hey, you’ll be okay,” he said, hoping he was right. Rashes went along with fevers, right? A cold shower and his brother would be alright.

“Let’s see your throat,” Mr. Lofton said, “Can you open your mouth?”

Ramsey shook his head, hiding his face.

“Come on,” Carl said. “Open up.” He tapped his brother’s chin and finally Ramsey complied, revealing an angry red throat and a white tongue.

Russ looked at Carl. “He needs to go to the hospital too.”

Carl was down to his last few dollars. He didn’t have enough to take his brother to the hospital! That decided it – it was time for them to leave Tie Hack and for him to find a job. First, he had to get out of taking his brother to the doctor. “He’ll be fine, he doesn’t need to go to the hospital. You feel okay, don’t you, Ramsey?”

Ramsey obediently nodded, though it was clear to everyone that he didn’t.

“He might have strep.”

Carl remembered having strep throat when he was a child. Did his parents take him to the hospital? He couldn’t remember. Strep was just like having a bad case of the flu. Lots of rest and more soup, and his brother would be fine. He didn’t need to go to the hospital. Carl couldn’t afford to take him to the hospital.

“He’ll be fine,” Carl repeated, hugging his little brother.

Mr. Lofton fixed a stern gaze on Carl. “Wrap him in a blanket and come along.”

Carl swallowed at the direct order. Holding tightly to his sick brother, he thought about defying it. If the order had been about something benign, like, ‘Your brothers shouldn’t be sleeping in a car’ he would have shrugged it off. Ramsey was sick, though, and Carl knew Mr. Lofton was right. He did need to go to the hospital. Carl would just have to figure out how to pay for it later.

“Alright,” he said. “Brad, get dressed. We’ll follow you in our car, Mr. Lofton.”

Carl didn’t bother dressing Ramsey, but obeyed Mr. Lofton and wrapped a blanket around the little boy who only wore the t-shirt and underwear he had slept in. Settling both boys in the back seat, he quickly tore the tarp off the car, tossing it to the side to be sorted out later.

..»º*º«..

The nearest hospital was half an hour away, through winding mountain roads. When they arrived, Mr. Lofton sent John and the other non-sick boys to the waiting room and approached the desk. “My boys are sick. Fever, rash, strep, maybe?”

Carl masked his surprise, saying nothing as the children were signed in as “Jeff and Ramsey Lofton.” He gave Mr. Lofton a quizzical look, receiving just a steady one in return. As the receptionist turned away for a moment, Mr. Lofton mouthed, “I will pay.” Carl didn’t know what to think about that.

In a few minutes the boys were whisked away to an exam room. It was crowded in there, with Russ, Sue, Carl, and the two boys. The boys were set side by side on the exam bed where Ramsey again tried to pull his t-shirt down to cover himself. In the clear light of the room, they could see the rash extending down below his underwear to his legs. The blonde little boy looked at the darker haired one beside him, his lip wobbled, and the adults in the room (including the near-adult, Carl) expected more tears. Instead, in a small croaking voice, they heard a jealous, “I want pants too.”

Sue, Russ, and Carl smiled at that. Jeff, however, immediately reached for the waistband of his pajama pants and started pulling them off. “You can have mine, they’re hot and itchy!”

Ramsey declined the offer, realizing how hot he was too. He pulled his t-shirt off, flinging it towards Carl. Jeff soon followed.

When the doctor entered, he found two tear-stained 6 year-olds with blotchy red rashes sitting in their underwear on the examination table. He quickly introduced himself, making small talk with the boys while he examined them.

“Could be strep,” the doctor agreed. “Most likely scarlet fever. We’ll run a test.” First Jeff, then Ramsey submitted to a throat swab. “We’ll have the results soon. You can wait in here if you’d like or there’s a cafeteria down the hall if you all haven’t had breakfast yet.”

The Lofton parents decided breakfast was a good idea and herded the Wade brothers along saying it was their treat. Jeff and Ramsey weren’t hungry, but allowed themselves to be tempted with soft serve ice cream, swallowing as they were spoon-fed.

The families returned to the waiting room after that, careful to keep the sick boys away from others. At one point Jeff found himself on John’s lap while Ramsey was on Mrs. Lofton’s. Carl looked from Ramsey over to Brad, who was playing Go Fish with the other boys on the floor. They were both content. Feeling suddenly antsy, he said, “I left something in the car. Be right back.”

Carl hurried outside, letting himself into the Mustang and just sitting there in the driver’s seat. All of his inadequacies were revealed by his brother getting sick. He didn’t know how to take care of his brother, and he might not have even noticed the little boy was sick if it hadn’t been pointed out to him. He hoped he would have noticed the rash. He wondered if Ramsey had been up all night, crying and hot and scratchy. Some guardian he was! Not only could he not afford the hospital visit, he didn’t think he even had enough gas to make it back to camp. He only had about $19 left. He could get gasoline, but not food. He had some food now, though, enough to last him while he found a job. Not enough for three of them. And who would watch the boys while he worked? Ramsey getting sick... Brad wasn’t old enough to look after Ramsey.

The teen sat in his car almost paralyzed with indecision. His brothers would be better off without him. They needed real parents and a real home. Not him. And who was he fooling, with the constant lessons he foisted on himself and the boys? They were worthless. His brothers would grow up ignorant and any hopes he held for them or himself getting educated would be gone. He should let them go. He couldn’t let them go. He loved them. He didn’t run away with them after their grandfather died only to let them go now. But it was the best thing for them. Was it?

“Carl.”

The quiet, steady voice came from his left. The teen rolled the window down once more, not realizing until right then that his hands were shaking. He barely managed to make eye contact with Mr. Lofton.

“Yes?” he asked in a hoarse voice.

“Everything okay?”

Carl opened his mouth to lie, then shut it and shook his head.

“Ramsey will be okay. The test results are back. The boys have scarlet fever.” He raised a hand at Carl’s worried look. “It’s treatable, just an antibiotics shot and they’ll be alright.”

“Oh.”

“Ramsey wants you to hold him while he gets it.”

“Okay.” Carl remained seated in the vehicle, still unable to move.

Mr. Lofton waited patiently. He noticed the teen’s shaking, his pale visage, the worried expression. “Were you leaving?”

Carl’s eyes shot to his. “What? No.” Maybe.

“Good. Those boys in there need you.”

“I’m not- I can’t... I can’t even pay for this, Mr. Lofton.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. I’ll pay the doctor bill. It’s likely Ramsey caught it from Jeff, and even if he didn’t-” Russ shrugged. “I know you’re 17.”

“What?”

With a wry grin, the adult said, “Apparently one of your brothers let it out. You’re 17. How long until you’re 18?”

“December.”

“You boys can’t continue on your own. You need help, Carl.”

“I-I know.” Carl gripped the steering wheel with both hands, and put his head down.

“Let’s go inside and get the boys their shots. Then we’ll go back to camp, pack up, and go home to South Dakota. We need to keep an eye on the rest of you in case you caught what the little ones have, and I’d rather do that close to home. I’d like for you three to come with us. We’ll call social services, do it right, legal.”

“Do what?”

“Arrange for you boys to live with us.”

“I don’t want to lose them.”

“ _You_ boys. You too, Carl. I know you all love each other, I wouldn’t want you split up. They need to be in school. So do you. You all need a family.”

Carl gazed at the man. “What about your wife? Does Mrs. Lofton want us to come?”

Russ chuckled. “As if I would make the offer without her blessing? She would love a dozen children.”

“And- and not just Ramsey and Brad?”

“Not just them.” Mr. Lofton watched as the tension left the teen. “Let’s go inside now, so the boys can get their shots. We can talk more later.”

“Alright, yessir.” Carl got out of the Mustang and the two walked back inside, Mr. Lofton’s hand casually on the teen’s shoulder.

..»º*º«..

Carl watched Mr. and Mrs. Lofton as both little boys got their shots. He held Ramsey as he was given his shot and comforted him afterwards, but through it all he watched the adults, weighing the offer and wondering if it was best for his brothers. He soon gave up thoughts of ‘best’, realizing that what he had seen of the Loftons the past few days beat anything he and his brothers had dealt with the last few years. ‘Best’ was impossible to calculate. ‘Better’ and ‘good’ were more realistic and attainable, and the Loftons were definitely that.

After leaving the hospital, both vehicles pulled into a service station, and Mr. Lofton paid to fill them both up before Carl even knew he had. On the drive back to the camp, Carl talked to Brad and Ramsey about the possibility of returning home with the Loftons.

“They’ll be our new parents?” Brad asked.

“Maybe, I’m not sure. Guardians, yes, probably. Mr. Lofton said he’d make it legal, call social services.”

Brad knew they had been trying to escape the notice of social services for the last year, mostly so they wouldn’t be split up. “And we’ll stay together?”

“Yeah.”

“And I can go to school?”

Carl heard the excitement in Brad’s voice and gave him a grin. “Yes. I doubt you’d be able to escape it, living with them.”

“And they’ll be our new brothers?” Ramsey sleepily asked. He was laying down in the back seat on his tummy, not wanting to sit on his bottom which had recently received the injection.

“Yes, kind of,” Carl replied.

“Sounds nice.”

“Sounds great!” Brad exclaimed.

Carl smiled at both boys. “They do seem like nice people, don’t they?”

..»º*º«..

Both campsites were quickly dismantled. Mr. Lofton gave Carl their address in Jackson, South Dakota, and directions in case the cars got separated. That was made largely unnecessary when it was arranged that John ride with the slightly older teen and his younger brothers.

It was early evening when the two cars pulled into the long driveway of the Loftons’ home. Everyone got out of the vehicles, the adults and teens stretching and the middle Lofton boys racing around burning off energy. The three Wade brothers looked in awe at the large house sitting on the crest of a hill, a barn to one side and a huge oak tree with a rope swing and a treehouse at the top.

“Wow,” Brad kept repeating.

Carl picked Ramsey up, feeling insecure again. This was a nice house. Their old house had been nice too, but a lot smaller. These people must be well off and what in the world were he and his brothers doing there?

“Come on, Brad!” Cutter said, running inside the moment the door was unlocked.

“We’ll unpack tomorrow,” Sue decided. “Let’s get Ramsey and Jeff inside.”

Temporary room arrangements were made, and a simple dinner was fixed. Then while the middle boys played outside, the adults and teens relaxed and talked in the family room, the two youngest boys dozing on their laps.

The conversation was practical as they made plans. Mr. Lofton seemed so certain that everything would work out the way he thought that Carl found himself believing it. The worry of caring for his brothers the last year lifted from Carl’s shoulders as he sat on the comfortable leather sofa, his brother nestled in his arms. What a relief it would be to let others help him care for the two boys. He could even go back to school! He hoped he wouldn’t be too far behind. How embarrassing would it be if he ended up a year or two behind John. John was going into his senior year, and Carl was 8 months older. That was a worry for another day... He looked around the house and his possible new family. Yes, this just might work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I caught scarlet fever from my cousin when I was six. We were visiting them in Texas. I still remember being sick and having prickly heat as we drove in our Impala through the deserts in the southwest in the summer. It wasn't until we got to San Diego that we went to the doctor where a simple shot took care of it! 
> 
> On another note, I'm finding it easier to write Mr. and Mrs. Lofton. At this point I'm thinking since this is 'what might have been', they won't be dying later in an accident. We'll get to see what happens when all the kids get to stay part of a loving family :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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